Iraq's KRG says respects court ruling banning secession

Iraqi President Fouad Masoum called for dialogue between the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to overcome political and security problems after the KRG's independence referendum on September 25.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), based in Erbil, said in a statement that it would respect the Federal Supreme Court's ruling on November 6.

His remarks came during a meeting between al-Abadi and the head of the United Nations mission in Iraq, Jan Kubis.

Last week, Iraq's Supreme Federal Court ruled that the country's constitution does not allow for the secession of any part of the country from the Iraqi state. Its decisions can not be appealed, though it has no mechanism to enforce its ruling in the Kurdish region.

The vote also raised hackles in neighboring Turkey and Iran, which have their own Kurdish minorities.

The Baghdad government responded to the Kurdish independence referendum by swiftly seizing the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk and other territory disputed between the Kurds and the central government.

Important: Clear #KRG statement respecting Iraqi Supreme Court's recent decision interpreting Article 1 of the Iraqi constitution and calling for dialogue to resolve all disputes on the basis of the constitution. Iraq's central government rejected the vote, saying it violated the constitution.

Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi had previously urged the northern semi-autonomous Kurdish region to abide by the court's decision. It called for talks with the government in Baghdad to resolve tensions over the region's constitutional status.

Mr Barzani meanwhile accused the U.S. of supporting "Baghdad instead of being a mediator between its two allies".